And back to reality...

In the best way.

We watched college and professional football- cheering for close games, and officially becoming new fanatics...We also traveled up to Canada- Osoyoos, BC- just for fun.  It was for "lunch" on Friday of the Thanksgiving weekend, which sounded suspicious.  We were able to convince the border we were just crazy, but it was a bit touch and go on my heart and emotions.  

We traveled through North-Central Washington's wine country, and then into the start of British Columbia's- Osoyoos.  It was beautiful- going the long way through the mountains, then the "short" way through the Colville Reservation. Differently beautiful- the Grand Coulee Dam, industry, but not the same as an otherwise protected forest.

All I can say is that it was lovely- the weekend as a whole...shopping for the "big" meal together and "picking" out a turkey; cooking and preparing and eating together; enjoying leftovers and exploring our Northern neighbor; watching college football and pro-football...sleeping in and chatting with far away family.  So nice.  So peaceful.

It was a perfect Thanksgiving.  (We weren't with family, and that was hard and strange!)  But we talked with everyone, and settled into our plan, and had an intimate feast that was lovely.  Clemmy even got a lil' smidge of turkey...just a little.

Now, pertinent thoughts...

In 1995, we moved back to the small town in southern Indiana, and the neighboring senior offered to drive me to our swim practice.

It was early, and all I remember was the country music blasting in her car.

Somehow those folks were having a day like mine- 14, high school, swim team, scared.

She swore by it and I was sunk- deep into lyrics and rhythms and an aching love. 

So now, when I’m looking for how I’m feeling, when I’m uncertain of what’s caught in my craw and rubbin’ me the wrong way, I look to the repertoire and find comfort, voice, and volume. 

Thank you, country music.   Always.

Incredible day: we shopped for Thanksgiving preparations, and I got so excited that we're doing it together- on our own.  It's sad to not be gathering with family, but it's also really beautiful to try out all the stuff we've "learned" and "gleaned" over the many years of being hosted in such gracious and sweet company.  Shopping today, together, was so fun- a little scary picking out the turkey, but challenging and positive and, somehow, already rewarding.  

The rest of the day was just errands and coffee and stopping by my favorite place for $2 pints on Wednesday, for fun.  All was lovely, and I'm listening to country music and my sweet husband and pup are so bonded, cuddled in bed asleep.  Grateful and wishing all well.  My heart goes out to those moving and migrating and seeking shelter from the storm.  

Wow...time flies...and all that jazz...

Re-cap:

• Parents came to visit- AMAZING.  I learned that The Historic Davenport Hotel really is all it's cracked up to be; I re-learned how much I love my parents; and I be-bopped all around Spokane and Coeur d'Alene only to fall into deeper appreciation for "home".  Some highlights below:

A Lego exhibit at the Northwest Museum of Arts and Culture

Below: Husband and I at Crafted in Coeur d'Alene

• In heavier world news, terrorist attacks occurred in Paris, setting off a spree of fear-mongering in our politics and setting back aid to Syrian refugees seeking solace.  It really reaffirmed my deep belief that more extension of ourselves, more tenderness and love and compassion and generosity is needed.  Typing those words just stung a bit, though, because I need to do more practicing of those values.  Much more.
• I have some exciting vocational prospects coming up in January, and I'm really looking forward to putting time and energy into them.  So, this Thanksgiving I am giving thanks to the university community that has made us both feel so welcomed here.
• And now we're in the week of Thanksgiving!  We went to the visiting Moscow Ballet's performance of the Nutcracker, and it was really lovely.  Pointed and gravity-defying length and strength.  The costuming and sets were colorful, but subdued.  Perfect for welcoming the winter and snow!  It was also our first time at the performing arts center in town, which was beautiful and our seats- last row- were great!  

• We're cooking our own, little, turkey this year- probably Spatchcocking it, which my mother taught us how to do; then, we need to decide on a couple sides- just two.  I'm currently torn between:

EVERYTHING HERE!

• On a final note, I've been meditating on the foundations of Buddhism lately, specifically: 1. Dukkha: Life is painful and causes suffering; 2. Anitya: Life is in constant flux; 3. Anatma: The self is always changing.  I got them from an article on MindBodyGreen, that you can find here.  I really appreciate the simplicity and irony of the notions, and something about both life being in flux and the self constantly changing seems swirling and chasing and also peaceful.  Happy and peaceful holidays to you!

I made a list the other night- a wishlist for 2016.  It's a GoogleDoc, and it's for myself, but I remembering doing that sort of thing when I was young and what perspective it provided.  I remember making a list at 17 once.  It had things on it like "a date for Saturday night," or "flowers".  It helped me so much to cross the things off as they were happening- to realize that my life really was amounting to what I dreamed of.  Yet, it wasn't all happening at once.  Everything didn't suddenly become perfect- things evolved and, eventually, everything became.  

So, I did this activity, as an adult looking back on my 17 year old self and learning from her, and I amazed to report that- already- 7% of my "things" are crossed off.  For you, this may not be a worthy exercise, but for me, it's like a meditation.  It's like witnessing that what you hope for is actually what you already have.  It helps me to know that all is well and right and good, and that I have greater capacity than I think I do.  That is, I can give more, love more, do more because all the things I need are checked off.

In other notes, my parents came to visit, and it was so restoring and heartwarming and absolutely wonderful.  We spent the past years in such close proximity with them, that it was wonderful to be such a unit again. We toured Spokane, and both of us fell in love with it again!  Additionally, we explored new restaurants, luxuriated at The Davenport, and enjoyed one another's company.  The time was, truly, grand- I'm so grateful to them for coming out, particularly in light of their crazy return home!

We had a windstorm the day after they left.  We were incredibly lucky-Vinegar Flats is so sheltered by cliffs on all sides- we didn't get much of the hurricane-like winds.  All through Spokane, chain saws are rumbling, heavy machinery is dragging and clearing, and families are without power (going on three days) and warmth.  Not to mention our temperatures have dropped drastically to highs and lows in the thirties.  People are resilient, though.  And we're helping one another through it.

Sorry for so much information, and less photographic glory.  More to come- patience, ye!

Home.

Thursday night.

My parents are coming to visit this weekend, and I'm so looking forward to that touch of where I've come from- my previous home.  I do feel committed to our life in the Inland Northwest, and I do feel as though there are bright spots on the horizon.  And I simultaneously feel like I miss where I have been and what I have known and what I have taken for granted.  I am grateful for the opportunity to give thanks and share time and reminisce whilst making new memories and expanding notions of home for my folks, and myself.

Here's to a wonderful weekend.  We kicked it off, as we have the last few weekends at Pacific Avenue Pizza in historic Browne's Addition, just up the road from our 'stead in Vinegar Flats, and I am so looking forward to this being a part of our weekly routine out here.  Thursday nights we can observe hockey games going on...not really, more tuning into the NFL's Thursday night game and enjoying $2 drafts and slices.  They have an old-timey pizza oven, where the pizza rolls through on a slooooow conveyor belt...sometimes falling, tragically.

We're lovin' it.  

This morning, Clementine and I took a drive.  We went North, crossed one of a multitude of local bridges over the Spokane River, wound our way through curves and altitude changes in Riverside State Park, then were in the middle of nowhere.  I ended up consulting a map we got on our ride into town during the move, but it was a reassuring feeling to see that I didn't really need it.  I knew what direction of town we were outside of- I just got a little scared not recognizing anything.  It gets pretty remote pretty quickly!  

I was looking for homesteads.  I always imagined we'd end up in a cabin on land, with countryside as far as the eye could see.  Making the drive this morning kind of felt like coming to peace with committing to the City of Spokane, and letting go of rural living.  Letting go in order to make room for ideas to come.